


Not Holding Back

by serafina19



Category: Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-13
Updated: 2015-08-13
Packaged: 2018-04-14 11:17:10
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,958
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4562565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/serafina19/pseuds/serafina19
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After seeing Captain Holt and Gina leave the 99, Amy goes to the Polish place by her apartment. What she didn’t anticipate when she arrived was seeing her partner already there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Not Holding Back

**Not Holding Back**

It had been a long couple of days, so Amy thought she had earned this, even if it made her predictable.

_“You’re going to the Polish place and get perogies, potato pancakes and a cup of hot chocolate.”_

_Damn it Jake,_ Amy thought as she approached the door of said Polish place. Captain Holt leaving was one thing, as it felt like all her hard work just went down the drain, not to mention another time of transition at the precinct. But apparently she also had to make it more difficult due to events that stemmed from her asking Jake yesterday why he didn’t want her on his case. Then again, how was she supposed to know that would lead to them kissing not once, not twice, but _three times_ in the past few days?

Last night, she was too distracted to come here, as she settled with picking up Indian take-out. But between the way today had gone at work and her post-work errands, Amy decided she needed to consume insane amounts of carbohydrates, hoping if nothing else it would take Jake Peralta off her mind until morning.

All day, she had managed to work across from Jake without things getting too weird, but she was skeptical as to how long that would last. Inevitably, one of them was going to crack and Amy couldn't handle that distraction, especially with a new captain. Even if he wasn't going to be her mentor, she had a schedule to make captain herself, and there was no way that she was letting –

“Jake?”

She paused in the doorway and immediately recognized her partner sitting at one of the tables. Sure enough, he had also ordered perogies and potato pancakes.

“Hey,” he said. “I didn’t think you’d be here tonight.”

Although it was fitting, considering how their luck had been lately. He thought he had finally caught a break when she left the precinct first, as he figured that he would slip out while she hung around the new captain’s office. But it didn’t take long for Jake to remind himself that Captain Holt and Gina’s departure had hit everyone hard, so it made sense that Amy wasn’t jumping into her teacher’s pet mode just yet.

What he wasn’t quite willing to admit was that things were clearly changing between them. They had managed to not let anything slip to their colleagues yet, but considering the way they reacted any time their eyes met today, it was only going to get harder from here. Jake had even checked the time on his computer to ensure that he left at least twenty minutes after Amy to avoid any post-work interaction. But as the elevator at the precinct descended, Jake had realized that the same pizza wasn’t going to cut it. Soon enough, he found himself craving the very thing he chastised Amy about last night.

But he hadn't anticipated that she would be here now, so he pulled out his chair.  “I can go if you want.”

“No!" she said, regretting how fast that came out. "I mean, that's really not necessary. You're already here and the food is better fresh, so you should enjoy it. Besides, I’m been meaning to show you this place because I…”

Amy bit the inside of her lip to force herself to stop talking. It was then that she realized that he probably would have left if he saw her at a table, but she shook that thought aside. This whole thing was silly. They were professionals, they had eaten at the same place before, so this wasn’t a unique situation. 

Plus, he did technically get here first and it wasn't like he completely ruined her plans. Sure, she had come here to quiet the awkwardness she was feeling, but this was a good thing. This could remind them of their familiar dynamic and it wasn't like there was a shortage of food around.

Pointing at the plates in front of Jake, she said, “That’s all for you?”

Jake smirked before moving the plate forward. “Initially, it was, but on second thought, my appetite isn’t what it usually is.”

“I know the feeling,” Amy replied, taking the seat across from him.

“Please, help yourself.” He was glad to see her take a pancake and start cutting it, so he stood up from his chair, realizing that something was missing. “Hot chocolate's coming right up.”

When Jake disappeared from her peripheral vision, Amy dropped her fork and left her chair. “Wait, I can pay for that,” she said, reaching into her jacket to pull out her wallet.

He turned his head and upon seeing her wallet, he held up his hand. “I don’t mind.” After all, he wasn’t that broke and he probably owed her as much after today.

Amy nodded and sat back down, so Jake went to the counter and made the order. As he paid up, he realized that it was nice to have some company, someone that wanted to stick with him. He wouldn't have blamed her if she had left after seeing him. That was the downside to his kind of charm.

Jake knew it wasn't for everybody, but he wasn't about to change. For everyone he frustrated, there were people that his energy brought happiness to, and that meant something to him. Oddly enough, Amy Santiago was about the only person firmly in the middle.

Maybe that was why he liked her so much.

Jake glanced in her direction, smiling as their eyes met, but that seemed like nothing compared to the look he stole seconds later. Her eyes were looking out the window, but soon, her hands came up and did the double tuck.

He shook his head, trying not to overthink this sign as he grabbed her hot chocolate. As he approached their table, he had hoped that they could at least survive tonight without making things weird. But apparently his face wasn't doing a good job of that, because the moment he sat back down, Amy asked, “Are you okay?”

“You mean am I still repressing Holt and Gina leaving?” Jake countered, taking the lesser of the two evils at this point. “Sort of, but I'd rather not talk about it.”

His harsh tone had thrown Amy for a second, but after taking a drink from her cup, she leaned forward. “You know that I’m here for you, right?”

He did know that. That was what made this harder. “What about you? I mean, you lost your rabbi. Now you have to suck up to someone else.”

When Amy stiffened, Jake got the reaction he thought he wanted until he saw it. “I’ll survive,” she said.

“Yeah you will,” Jake replied, shaking his head before he forked a perogy. “I’m sorry, that was uncalled for.”

Because if he had to be honest, he wanted to comfort her as she kept saying, “ _What the hell”_ at the precinct. Sure, he was in shock and seeing Holt shows signs of emotions threw him for a bit, but he knew what this meant to his partner.

However, she seemed to be taking it better than he thought, because she merely shrugged at his apology.

“I understand why you’re on edge,” she said, because it was no secret to anyone who knew Jake well enough that he wasn’t always comfortable with losing people he cared about. He joked around, making fast acquaintances, but few real friends. That was why when someone who mattered to him left, it didn’t matter whether it was personal or not. He still took it hard and this was no exception, no matter how hard he tried to repress it.

And normally, he would have taken her understanding as a way out. But today had gone sideways in many ways, so Jake wanted to salvage the relationship he still had. They both knew that silence on this topic hadn’t done much good over the last year, so he exhaled loudly before admitting, “It’s not just that.”

 “Then what is it?” Amy asked, having a feeling that _it_ was something they thought they had moved past before their recent undercover work.

Jake pursed his lips. “I meant what I said in the restaurant last night. Your opinion matters to me.” Still unable to make eye contact, he poked his straw in and out of the lid of his drink.  It wasn't the best of his confessions to her, but the situation was different this time. They were both single this time. “But I screwed up, didn’t I?”

She shook her head. “Not yet.”  If he had, then they wouldn't be having this conversation. If he had, she would have blown up at him in the evidence room. “Are you sure that you want to talk about this now?”

He laughed before finally looking her way. “Unless you want to hear my Jamaican accent at work tomorrow.”

“No thanks.” That particular conversation was awkward enough without the history that followed. Deep down, Amy knew they had talked around it for too long and after what happened today, it would likely start to affect their professional lives. Therefore, talking about this now was probably smart. The only problem was that she didn’t know what to say to him.

Not to mention that they didn’t have the best relationship luck. This year alone had brought some decent personal struggles, even though they had sat in different positions at the end of their respective relationships. However, it didn't matter who had done the breaking up, it always stung when another relationship failed.

That's what made broaching this subject so hard for Amy. Normally, she weighed her pros and cons, but she didn’t have time for that. Especially when Jake basically cut to the chase.  “Just say it. The evidence room was a mistake.”

Again, she shook her head. “I didn’t say that.” She wanted to say more, but this wasn't like any of her past relationships. All this time, she swore to avoid dating someone in the same precinct, not to mention her recent vow of no cops. But now, staring at him, knowing that she didn’t find herself regretting their last kiss, it felt like those words were empty.

Unfortunately, they still meant something to Jake. “C’mon Santiago, I know you have a list or a speech, so let’s hear it.”

Amy frowned, disappointed he had stumbled back to calling her by her last name. But soon enough, she smirked, as what he said also showed how well he knew her. “I just … don’t want to jump into anything, Jake. You’re my partner and I don’t want to lose that.”

He had heard this before. “It’s okay. You don’t want to change anything. You don’t date cops. Don’t worry about it, we’re cool.”

She huffed, as she was tired of him putting words in her mouth. “It's not that simple, Jake, and you know that.”  Because they were past the point of not wanting things to change. Things had changed the moment he kissed her as Jake, amplified by her kissing him back as Amy. “What you said was true, and I do have a list of reasons why this is a terrible idea, but those lists haven't really worked out for me, have they?”

She wasn’t in a successful relationship, she wasn't super close with Holt and she wasn't any more confident with who she was. It sucked, because no matter how much work she put in, Amy had a feeling that it didn't matter. Maybe a difference in approach was what she needed.

“What are you saying?” he asked her, his confidence piqued.

“That there is only one thing on my list that matters right now." Amy wanted to say that there was nothing stopping them, but she knew better. "Timing hasn't ever been on our side, but if we do this, I want it to work. And unless we really talk about this, it won’t work if it starts from this kind of a vulnerable place.”

Jake nodded, recognizing that was a solid point. “So no crazy declarations of affection or strippergrams?”

That got her to laugh. “Definitely not.” Even though he had technically already done both of those things. In fact, they had joked around in their friendship so much, Amy didn’t realize until now just how many romantic-type things they had done together.

“Can I eat in your car?”

“Baby steps Jake,” Amy said, remembering how long it took to get the powdered doughnut residue out of her car. “Car eating privileges are a completely different matter.”

He picked up his drink. “That doesn’t sound promising,” he said before taking a sip, or rather, making a loud noise, as there wasn’t much left inside the cup.

“This might help.”  Taking another potato pancake from the plate, Amy glanced down as she started cutting it. “You remember why I broke up with Teddy?”

“You got tired of drinking pilsners?” Seeing her about to interject, he snapped his fingers. “No, it’s because your inside joke was reciting numbers.”

Amy knew that he remembered the real reason, although it also didn't work out for the same reasons her lists never did. On paper wasn't a way to define a relationship, or anything for that matter. If it was, she would still be with Teddy, but in reality, she got bored. When it came to Holt, most of her best results came when her plans failed miserably.

That was part of the reason she envied Jake. He was spontaneous and found ways to impress people through methods that shouldn't work but often did. He had won their bet after all. He was also the one who led the team in breaking the course record at tactical village. Then there was the FBI undercover case, the day that arguably changed everything.

And it wasn't just the fact that he admitted that he liked her. Although that certainly helped. Seeing that empty desk in front of her for months wasn't easy. She also missed his office hijinks, not that she'd tell him that.

“Look, there are days that I want to wring your neck –”

“And your sex tapes enter the kinky stage,” he interjected.

Amy rolled her eyes. “But I’m not sure how much longer that I can pretend there isn’t more here.” Jake wasn’t afraid to tell her how he felt and Amy was pretty sure she returned those feelings. But therein lay the problem, as dating someone in the same precinct was all kinds of messy. Like Jake eating in her car.

When he hadn’t said anything, she looked up to see him moving his chair back. “I’m getting this wrapped up,” he said. “You okay with that?” He knew that she hadn’t eaten much of it, but right now, most of their attention was on their conversation, and he had a feeling that they shouldn’t do this here.

“Yeah, sure,” Amy replied, glad he wasn’t walking out on this conversation. But when he left the table, she walked towards the door, trying to collect her thoughts. She did like Jake, but there was a difference between having friendly banter and dating him. She knew that he had a serious side, and it was weirdly present tonight, probably because recent events were too much for him to repress.

But it was also possible that he was serious enough about her to treat this seriously. He joked about the accent instead of doing it, knowing she wasn’t a fan of it. In a twisted way, that was progress. But where did she stand? Sure, she meant what she said in the restaurant too, but that was just the fact that he made her laugh. It wasn’t quite on par with what he said.

“Ready?”

Jake’s voice shook Amy from her trance, her head nodding quickly as he held the door for her. She wasn’t sure where they were heading, so she unconsciously turned to walk to her apartment, as it wasn’t a long walk.

He followed suit, looking around as they took their first few steps. “I just realized that this isn’t much more private.”

“That the name of your sex tape?” Amy asked, trying to lighten the mood.

“Nice try, but you can do better.”

“Maybe,” she said, taking the comment in another direction, hoping he’d say something, but instead the silence settled back in, which didn’t make things easy for Amy. She didn’t like unresolved problems, and since they had broached the subject, she knew she wouldn’t sleep if they didn’t figure this out tonight.

“Sometimes, I wish you weren’t so honest.” Amy hadn’t intended to say that out loud, but it didn’t take long to realize that even the people at the end of the street heard her. She knew Jake had seen her squeeze her eyes shut, but honestly, she didn’t care.

In the end, it was true. Jake didn’t want to hold anything back and for the most part, Amy did the furthest thing from returning the favour. Then again, it wasn’t like he had actually asked her out and Amy also figured that she was worse at hiding her feelings.

Rosa had already given her crap for the double hair tuck and seemed to be counting down the days until something happened. Charles was their biggest cheerleader and Gina was smarter than she looked, so it was only a matter of time before she’d make a comment.

Recognizing the troubled look in his eyes, Jake said, “If it would make things easier, I don’t have to be me. I could be Roger Suave, straight-laced investment banker who crushes other people’s debt and volunteers for a soup kitchen.”

Amy smirked as his make-believe voice kicked in. “Is that the type of guys that you think I go for?” Because that was by far the most boring backstory she had ever heard him use.

“C’mon Ames, I’ve heard you describe the guys you’ve dated.” Jake shrugged. “It’s not far from the truth.”

Okay, he was probably right, but as far as she was concerned, they only had one thing in common. “You do remember how well those relationships ended, right?”

He knew that too. That conversation was something that he didn’t forget. “You never wanted to feel that way again.”

Her mouth gaped before her head turned to Jake. Back when she said that, she was still with Teddy, likely knowing that it wasn’t going to last, but not how it would fall apart.

“Who does?” she countered. It wasn’t an easy thing to witness, so it was even harder when it happened personally. “But that doesn’t mean that you stop trying, especially when there’s someone who’s worth giving it one more shot.”

Looking up at Amy’s building, Jake pursed his lips, knowing what she was trying to say. But old habits died hard, so he walked in front of her and turned around to say, “I told you that you weren’t allowed to fall in love with me.”

She knew he was kidding, but she couldn’t resist responding. “I didn’t that night… and I’m not there now either. At least, not yet.” Amy knew it was best to be completely honest, as she couldn’t risk him misinterpreting her words. “Besides, you can’t talk considering you refused the relief team.”

Jake stopped walking. “Holt told you?” _Traitor_ , he thought, but it was also Holt, so it wasn’t likely a conscious decision.

“He thanked us for sticking it out.” At the time, she wondered why Jake wanted to keep working, especially because he had spent a lot of money on their date. Now, it felt so clear, because there was something natural and calming about their dynamic when they weren’t trying too hard in their own way. “It was also one of the better dates I’ve had. You know, because we got the bad guys.”

Hearing the word _date_ got Jake thinking of how many unofficial dates they had actually gone on… and if this counted as he stood at her doorstep. “And this is your place.”

Amy grinned. “That it is.” Reaching in her purse, she grabbed her keys and turned towards the steps. “Look, I don’t mind where this conversation is going, so I think we should talk it out over a beer. It’s your call, but I have no interest in hearing that accent in the morning.”

“Oh c’mon mon,” he said, trying out his Jamaican accent again. “It’s not that bad.”

“Yes it is,” she said, hoping he wouldn’t bust out the German afterwards, but not staying to figure out.

After unlocking the main door, she was tempted to look back, but his approaching footsteps provided his answer. Even the light way his steps hit the pavement alluded to the demeanour that enhanced her attraction to him. Truthfully, he did act like a child, but he also had moments when it was clear how much he had to grow up and why he had to hold onto his childhood after his father left. Either way, she was glad that he decided to join her.

Not much was said in the elevator, but there were signs of progress, as she felt him graze the side of her hand. It was meant to feel like an accident, as the hesitation was there, but suddenly, it felt like she was the sure one. So Amy returned the favour, touching the back of her hand to his for a few seconds before the elevator doors had opened up.

This wasn't the first time Jake had been to her place, but it was possibly the first time he had come alone. She knew what message this sent, but that wasn't the intention. They had to figure this out before it was too late.

She opened the door, gesturing for him to enter first. As she locked the door behind them, she heard his familiar laughter. "What?"

"Do my eyes deceive me,” Jake said, “or are there actual things on your floor?"

There wasn’t that much, just a coat that had fallen off the hanger and a few shoe marks that she had every intention of cleaning tonight. Or at least, that was before today took a serious turn for the unexpected.

It was hardly worth his comment, but Amy didn’t respond that way. "I'm fully capable of letting loose," she said, immediately regretting the word choice. Sure enough, Jake was about to say something, so she glared at him. "Don't say it."

For once, he did listen, but he settled on his sarcastic angel expression that almost spoke the words anyway. But instead of giving him crap for it, she silently went towards her kitchen to get a beer, pausing as she reached the fridge.

Was it wrong that she couldn't remember the last she had done this? Sure, she went out to the bar with the team regularly, but it had been a long time since she had entertained. If nothing else, the beers in the back of the fridge proved that. There was a chance that these were the same beers she hid from Teddy when she needed something different.

After closing the fridge, Amy sighed. That alone should have been a warning sign. But that didn’t matter now and it wouldn’t help her in the conversation she was about to have. Looking towards her living area, she saw Jake trying to sprawl on her couch and she couldn't help but shake her head, knowing he couldn't see it.

As much as she didn’t want to admit it, there really was something endearing about his personality. The fact that they were opposites seemed to help, as the old expression appeared to be ringing true.

"This is the weirdest couch ever," he called out, moving his body in an attempt to relax. “How do you get comfortable on this thing?”

"It's ergonomic.” Amy entered the area in time to see Jake sit up. “I need good posture to continue my growth as a detective."

"Yes,” he said, as he rubbed his back, “because posture is a key point in tracking down criminals."

He never got it, why she thought she needed constant improvement in the weirdest areas. Power poses, voluntary courses on police codes, Amy had done it all. But when push came to shove, she was the best and it had nothing to do with superficial crap. In a different sense, that was more his area. Maybe that was why they made such a good team.

"Don't complain to me when I make captain, while you inevitably get back problems in five years," she said, passing him one of the beers. "As promised."

"This isn't one of Teddy's, is it?"

Amy scoffed. “Yes, because I would want to lead off this conversation with my ex’s beer.” Especially since she made a conscious effort to dump all of that down the sink once she got home from that road trip. But Jake’s comment caused her to second guess herself so she looked at the bottle. “It’s not even a pilsner.”

She sat down next to Jake, but she decided to keep her gaze straight ahead, as she didn't know how to take the next step in this conversation. It wasn’t like she ever saw herself being in a situation like this, but it was obvious that neither of them were comfortable with keeping their in-between status.

“Sorry, I had to ask,” Jake said, still having a problem with enduring silence between them. “So… the new captain isn’t not as bad as I thought. I mean, a bit of a pencil pusher, but not a complete robot. Could be worse.”

Amy appreciated what he was trying to do, but all she could do was take a drink of her beer. They had done this before, small talking around the point until it felt like it no longer mattered. Frankly, she was getting tired of it.

“Yeah, I suppose," she said, turning her body towards him after deciding to figure this out as she went. “I could be dating Roger Suave.” Seeing Jake’s reaction, Amy smiled. “Don’t get me wrong, he is an interesting character, but I like Jake Peralta just fine.”

Unfortunately, Jake interpreted that comment differently than she had hoped. “As friends,” he said before taking a drink from his beer.

Watching as he put the bottle down, she noticed how the disappointment in his eyes never changed. That’s when she realized that she had to really put her cards on the table. “Yes, I’m the friend who would have said yes if you ever actually asked me out.” Seeing his eyes pop up, Amy shrugged. “Think about it Jake, it’s not like we’re great at hiding how we feel. Remember what Charles and Rosa said in the van before everything else happened?”

This time, Jake scoffed. “Speak for yourself. I’m not the one who unnecessarily yelled that everything was okay.” Because even though she was right, and he was caught by Boyle and Terry long before he admitted his feeling to Amy, he didn’t want their relationship to change because of other people. He just hoped that Amy wouldn’t bring up the fact that he was one who admitted that they had kissed.

She wouldn’t, as she decided to turn back the clock. “Do I have to remind you that I wasn’t the only one who looked like an idiot at that disaster double date?”

They didn’t talk about it much, mostly because they didn’t think a lot of good came from it. It was an end of one relationship, likely the beginning of the end of the other. It also started… whatever this was. They would banter about that night, but they never forgot what was said and the resulting fallout, no matter how much they wanted to.

Still, Jake had his pride and didn’t want to admit that he had let his guard down that night. “At least I didn’t stutter.”

That got Amy’s competitive streak going. “How long did you and Sophia last after that dinner?”

Jake stood up. “We didn’t break-up because of you.”

“Well, you…” Amy said, following suit while racking her brain for something to top him. Her eyes lit up when she found something. “You cracked first undercover.”

“You double tucked while I was getting your hot chocolate. Boom!”

The moment he closed his mouth, he regretted everything. The last word wasn’t his style and even worse, he had no intention of telling her that he knew about the double tuck.

Amy was tempted to kill Rosa for telling Jake about that, but right now, there were more important matters. Because Jake wasn’t the only one who felt embarrassed over that exchange. “What are we doing?”

He stretched his arms wide and then slapped them against his side. “I don’t know,” he said before sitting back down. It didn’t take long for him to regret the decision, as the couch was still stupidly uncomfortable, but when she also sat down, Jake didn’t want to move.

Or, at least, that was the case before she started talking.

“Maybe this is a bad idea.” Her chest hurt upon her saying that, but Amy had a feeling that they may have missed their chance. “Maybe it’s better to cut our losses and tack it up to crazy circumstances.”

“Yeaaah, that’s not going to work.” He grabbed his beer from the coffee table and took a long swig, noticing how she was now looking at him. “Amy, we just got fought about who is worse at hiding our feelings for each other. That’s not going to get better by ignoring it again.”

Her mouth gaped open, as she tried to figure out a retort, but all she could do was sigh. “You’re right.” They had certainly tried to ignore it, to bury it, to joke about it, but nothing had worked. That left one of two options, and it turned out that Amy was more open to one of those than she thought. “So ask me.”

“What now?” That was so not where he thought Amy was going after her first comment. He thought that he would have to find a way to work through the awkwardness again, but instead, she put the ultimate decision in his court.

“We’ve done almost everything else, right?” She narrowed her eyes before leaning closer to him. “Unless your rule about no more cops applies.”

This was far from the first time they had been this close, but it was never like this. With each second, it became harder to not look down at her lips, to notice the breath that was meeting his skin. “You sure about this?”

Amy felt her breath become shakier as he continued to stare at her. “I’m willing to try.”

Jake nodded, smirking as her words sunk in. Maybe their luck was about to change. After a few seconds, he put down his beer and looked back at Amy. She was still grinning at him, waiting for him to say something. Upon realizing that there was really no going back after tonight, Jake couldn’t help but smile back, as he was fine with that.

“Jake?”

That wasn’t technically an invitation, but for Jake, it might as well have been. She wasn’t backing away and when he moved even closer, so did she. He put his hand on her cheek and she leaned towards it.

After that, he didn’t need anything more. When he closed the remaining distance between them, he finally knew how it felt to kiss her like this. Don’t get him wrong, the other three were fine, but there was always subtext. Whether it was preserving their cover or a momentary escape from unsettling news, it wasn’t about them.

Amy was right before, starting things under these circumstances probably wasn’t the best idea, but right now, it felt like they were on the same page. And while before Jake wanted to hold onto their friendship, today’s events ended up being the push Amy needed to come clean about her feelings and the push he needed to take one more chance when it came to his feelings for her. So when Amy kissed him back, it felt like all the frustration he had before started to fade away.

But he didn’t want to push it. Pulling away from her, he thought about how he wanted to do that again, but instead, he looked in her eyes and knew that this was the right place to leave it tonight.

He took her hand, feeling her fingers wrapped around his. After a squeeze, he released her hand and stood up. “Alright, I should go.” Initially, she looked confused, so he added. “I want to do this right too.” Her eyes immediately lit up, so he smiled at her. “See you tomorrow.”

Amy nodded. “Yeah, tomorrow.” She was tempted to tell him that he still hadn’t asked her out. But this time, actions spoke louder than words, so she let it slide as Jake left her apartment.

Neither of them had finished their beers, but that didn’t stop Amy from taking a sip from hers before taking both bottles to the kitchen. Jake had also left the leftovers on her table, so she assumed that he was giving her the rest, which was sweet. She put the takeout containers in the fridge before moving to empty the beer bottles, but she soon found herself distracted as the couch came into her line of vision again.

That had to be some sort of record for her when it came to kissing someone she wasn’t in a relationship with. Not to mention that each one better than the last.

Leaving the kitchen, she approached the door and locked it, but her hand lingered on the deadbolt. It wouldn’t take much for her to go downstairs and find Jake. He couldn’t have gotten far.

No, that said too much, no matter how much she wanted to break her rules with him. However, as her hand moved away, there was a knock on the door, causing Amy to take a step back.

It had to be Jake, as she wasn’t expecting anyone else. Looking around her apartment, she didn’t see anything else he could have forgotten, but she wasn’t about to let him know that she was already standing on the other side of the door.

Tiptoeing back a few more steps, Amy tried to emphasize her approaching steps before opening the door to face her partner.

“Hey.” He grinned at her from the other side of the doorway. "I just realized that I forgot to ask you if you wanted to get breakfast with me tomorrow."

Amy returned the expression, as that was the perfect place to start. "As long as it's before work." She had no idea how they would handle work afterwards, but she had hope they would figure it out.

"Buzzkill," Jake said, but he expected no less. With the new Captain, he knew that Amy wasn’t about to start off on the wrong foot. “Can we take your car?”

Her grin bubbled over to laughter as she felt peace settle between them. Finally, he was making himself an option to her, and it wasn't something she wanted to mess up. "How about this. I pick the place, you can eat in my car."

A small compromise, but she could control what he could possibly spill in his car. Then again, knowing Jake, he would probably find the one thing that could make the most mess. Well, she would have to wait and see if she would regret it. For now, seeing the look on his face was worth it.

"Deal."

 

 

**~End~**

 

**Author's Note:**

> I was so excited after binge-watching this show because I thought for sure that I wouldn’t write anything. There were talented writers for this pairing already and humour is the hardest thing for me to write. But I saw the community here and gained the courage to sign up for A03 when I had an idea that wouldn’t leave me. My fingers are crossed, hoping this turned out. 
> 
> Also, this was started before the casting of the new captain was announced, so I’m likely wrong about the “pencil pusher” mentality… but I didn’t want to mess with what I had.


End file.
